The Instructional Ideal

The ideal form of instruction would be one where the student feels a sense of empowerment over the learning process. There are many roads which may lead to the development of the sense of educational empowerment, but the key is to create the educationally conducive environment that provides opportunity for the fostering of emotional stability. As the development of decision-making skills (called problem-solving skills by some) lies at the root of the ideal educational process, the ideal form of instruction must provide a safe, comfortable environment for the students to practice and strengthen these skills. Students must be willing to make choices and accept the consequences in order to assume a role as a maturing adult in American society. As adults, we are well aware that, sometimes, the consequences of our actions are good. Sometimes, they are bad. It is the role of educational institutions to provide an environment where students feel safe to try.

One of the key components to ideal instruction is to remember that children, like all animals, learn best when they can relate new experiences to knowledge that they already possess. New information should be presented following a brief review of knowledge or related to concepts with which the student is already familiar. This allows them to strengthen their knowledge base in preparation for exposure, in the advanced grade levels, to new or expanded ideas. Students who experience this level of ‘recycling’ are better equipped to handle one of the most important life skills that we teach, risk taking. While students are standing on the familiar, teachers may more easily encourage them to get out of their comfort zones. This is an important step in the maturation process of children. As humans grow, we must frequently let go of the old in order to embrace the new. The void between the two can be frightening.

Another important aspect of ideal instructional is time. Students should be encouraged to process information that they have received, and time should be provided for them to accomplish this. Through time for reflection and discussion, students are able to deepen their understanding of the presented material or activity. As their understanding deepens, their knowledge base widens and further solidifies. Inevitably, they are lead to new and expanded ideas of a more complicated nature. The entire process fosters increased cognitive ability.